⚔️👑1066 - Fight for the Throne⚔️👑

Question 1

list the 4 claimants to the throne in 1066

Answer 1

Harold godwinson
Edgar aetheling
William of Normandy
Harald hardrada

Question 2

list five reasons why Harold godwinson was a good claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 2

1. he claimed the king had promised it to him on his deathbed
2. he had been kings chancellor
3. he was great military commander
4. he was married to Edith, kings sister
5. he was English

Question 3

list one reasons why Harold godwinson was a bad claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 3

1. he allegedly swore oath to William in 1064 over religious relics to make William king

Question 4

list 2 reasons why Edgar atheling was a good claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 4

1. only blood relative
2. atheling means throne worthy - indentified since birth

Question 5

list three reasons why Edgar atheling was a bad claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 5

1. no support from earls
2. no military experience
3. only 14

Question 6

list three reasons why William of normandy was a good claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 6

1. allegedly promised throne by king in 1051and Harold in 1064
2. had backing of pope, and therefore god
3. strong military leader

Question 7

list three reasons why William of normandy was a bad claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 7

1. no firm evidence to back claims
2. foreigner - not Anglo saxon
3. no support from earls

Question 8

list four reasons why Harald hardrada was a good claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 8

1. feared and respected ruler -hardrada means hard ruler
2. big army - 15,000 men with 300 long ships
3. Vikings had ruled England before last king
4. support of the north of england

Question 9

list one reasons why Harald hardrada was a bad claimant to the throne in 1066

Answer 9

1. no support of English earls

Question 10

how many cavalry did William have at the battle of hastings

Answer 10

2,000

Question 11

why were Williams cavalry an advantage in the battle of hastings

Answer 11

1. highly trained
2. heavily armoured
3. the English were not used to fighting against them

Question 12

why were Williams cavalry an disadvantage in the battle of hastings

Answer 12

they struggled to charge uphill

Question 13

why were Williams infantry an advantage in the battle of hastings

Answer 13

1. lightly armoured
2. well armed

Question 14

why were Williams infantry an disadvantage in the battle of hastings

Answer 14

some of his men came from across Europe - they didn’t know how to fight alongside cavalry

Question 15

who arrived first at the battle of hastings

Answer 15

Harold godwinson

Question 16

what did Harold do when he arrived at the battle of hastings

Answer 16

he arranged his soldiers at the top of a hill surrounded with woodland and march and made a sheild wall

Question 17

why was Harold’s defensive position at the battle of hastings effective

Answer 17

it made Williams archers and cavalry less effective
he couldn’t be flanked
he was in the front line so it boosted moral

Question 18

why did Harold have a disadvantage at the start of the battle of hastings?

Answer 18

his men were exhausted from the battle of Stanford bridge and having to walk across the country twice

he had no archers

he was in the sheild wall and had no command over his troops

Question 19

describe Harold’s army at the battle of hastings

Answer 19

housecarls - full time soldiers, well armoured, huge battle-axes
fyrd - poorly trained, had to provide own equipment

Question 20

why did William win at the battle of hastings

Answer 20

leadership
preparation
tactics
luck
army/weapons

Question 21

how did Williams leadership help him win the battle of hasting

Answer 21

gave rousing speech to inspire men
when men thought he dead, William rode with no helmet to show he alive
ordered archers to fire at Harold’s bannerman

Question 22

how did Williams preparation help him win the battle of hasting

Answer 22

got approved by pope - holy crusade for god
gathered and strengthened army - 2,000 horses fed 13 tones of grain and also of hay

Question 23

how did Williams tactics help him win the battle of hasting

Answer 23

feigned flight - pretended to retreat to draw Saxons out and break sheild wall

Question 24

how did Williams luck help him win the battle of hasting

Answer 24

William was able to set sail just as Harold was in North fighting Vikings

Question 25

how did Williams army/weapons help him win the battle of hasting

Answer 25

had different types of soldiers - foot men, arhcers and cavalry - lots of tactic options

Question 26

what did Edwin, morcar, archbishop Aldred of york and Edgar the atheling do after the battle of hastings

Answer 26

they met in London and planned to make Edgar king

Question 27

what was Williams takeover of England after the battle of hastings called

Answer 27

the submission of the earls

Question 28

why did the earls submit to william

Answer 28

cut off London’s supplies - laid siege to city
took royal treasury - earls had no money
best warriors Harold, gyrth and leofwine godwinson dead

Question 29

when was William crowned king

Answer 29

Christmas day 1066

Question 30

how did William build motte and bialy castles in England - what effect did this have

Answer 30

he used the local people as forced labour - this had huge psychological impact

Question 31

how many motte and baily castles did Williams initially build

Answer 31

500

Question 32

what is a motte

Answer 32

the mound of earth in a motte and baily castle that gives a 360 view of the local area

Question 33

what is a bailey

Answer 33

the fenced off area under a castle - home to soldiers and weapons

Question 34

what were motte and baily castles originally made of

Answer 34

timber

Question 35

why were motte and castles effective

Answer 35

used as base for local lord
psychological impact
dominate territory